Paul Rudolph Named Offensive Coordinator

On Thursday, Head Coach Bubba Schweigert announced Paul Rudolph as the new offensive coordinator of the UND Football team. Rudolph and Schweigert have a history as foes back in the NCC days when Schweigert was at Minnesota-Duluth.

Rudolph was the head coach at Minot State from 2007-2013, a school that recently moved up to D2 and joined the NSIC conference. He was also the head coach at Upper Iowa from 1992-2000, giving him 16 years of head coaching experience. Rudolph was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at St. Cloud State in between those two head coaching stints. During his time at St. Cloud under former UND assistant Randy Hedberg (who is now heading to NDSU as QB coach), the Huskies made the playoffs twice and his offense broke 26 school records. Those Rudolph-led offenses with guys like RB Matt Birkel and QB Keith Heckendorf gave Bubba Schweigert and Tim Tibesar all they could handle as D-coordinators at UND.

We like this hire for a number of reasons. First off, Rudolph has been a head coach for 16 years. That kind of experience, no matter what level, is invaluable. Next, he has been an offensive coordinator for seven years in the upper midwest. His preferred offensive style is a run-first, play-action, pro-style that is exactly what Bubba Schweigert said he was looking for. Rudolph is also a native of Stanley, ND, which gives them yet another coach that can recruit the state of ND with much familiarity.

We have not heard any other names yet as far as offensive position coaches go.

On the defensive side of the ball, we fully expect that Eric Schmidt, the former Sioux LB and current Southern Illinois linebackers coach, will be named defensive coordinator. We also are speculating that former SIU safety and current Minot State defensive backs coach Marty Rodgers will be coming along with Rudolph. Schweigert and Schmidt coached Rodgers at SIU from 2008-2009.

Looks like a good pick in terms of philosophy and coaching background (HC/OC). What’s Rudolph’s story on never coaching above the D-II level? I heard that he has had chances in the past to move up but didn’t to stay closer to home but can’t find anything to verify it? Any truth to that?

Not 100% sure but we have heard he could have joined SIU but chose to take the Minot State job or stay at Minot State. We do not know the timing. Regardless, it’s not an issue for us whether he coached a couple years in FCS or was HC at Minot State.